“And what was it you wanted to hear?” I quip.
She sucks in a breath through her teeth. “Oh, I don’t know. How about a ‘thank you,’ or a ‘you were right, Bea is awesome and the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’”
I raise my brows at her, and her smirk grows. She knows damn well that this is one argument she can’t bait me into, because she’s right. Goddamn it, she’s right. Again.
She’s always bloody right.
“I know it pains you to even think it, but humor me. Come on.”
“You’re a pain in my ass, Caldwell.”
“I have a feeling I won’t be so bad now you’ve got another woman in your life, Donnelly.”
I shake my head, unable to keep the smile off my face.
“She’s pretty incredible.”
“And am I right in thinking that that look in your eye just then when you spotted her coming out of the bathroom was anything but fake?”
“Why can you read me so well?” I scoff.
“I’m good at my job, Donnelly,” Hailee points out unnecessarily.
“Yeah,” I mutter, because I can’t deny that she is. Too fucking good at her job.
“Hey,” Bea says, finally making her way over.
Her cheeks are flushed from dancing, and her eyes twinkle with happiness. It’s a look I wish I could keep on her face forever.
“Hey,” Hailee replies as I wrap my arm around Bea’s waist and pull her into me.
“You look like you’re having fun.”
“I really am. All your friends are great.”
“Ah, they’re Rett’s friends. I’m just the pain in the ass who bosses them all around.”
“No, don’t be silly. The girls all love you. Oh, you should totally come out for girls’ night with us sometime.”
“Oh, um…I don’t really?—”
“Hailee, hi,” Monroe squeaks, returning from wherever he disappeared off to. “Could I…uh…could I have a word?”
Hailee looks among the three of us. “Yeah, of course. What’s up, Hayden?”
He spins away and begins walking to a quiet corner of the room, but not before I catch sight of his rosy cheeks.
“Uh…what was that?” Bea asks.
I can’t help but chuckle. “That’s our rookie with a crush on a woman that is so out of his league it’s funny as hell.”
“Aw, that’s cute.”
“Cute? Have you met Hailee? She’d literally eat him alive. He’s too…sweet for a woman like her.”
“There are probably people out there who think maybe I’m too nice for a man like you,” Bea says, sliding her hands up my chest and gazing up into my eyes like they’re the most mesmerizing things in the world.
“I’m pretty sure there are many, many people who would say exactly that. But their opinion means nothing to me. What about you, sweetheart?”
